Monday, September 21, 2009

Under Your Spell

Dear Sprout,

I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you have me completely under your spell. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but lately all you have to do is look at me the right way and I’m a puddle. It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie. I am no longer in control.

I had always heard that dads have a special relationship with their daughters, but up till now you have been clinging to your mom’s side so much that I wasn’t even sure if you knew I was in the room. Now that you’re walking and talking, you’ve been less reliant on your mother. You’ve even taken some time out of your busy brother-worshiping schedule to build a relationship with me.

It started with our first private joke. I looked over at you one morning during breakfast, shook my arms and make an “oooo” sound. It cracked you decidedly up. You started asking for it again and again by waving your arms at me. Every time, I was happy to oblige. Maybe it was at that point that you realized that I could make you laugh. You also realized you can make me laugh too. That’s when the devilish grins started, along with the sweet “innocent” smile you use to try to cover up the fact that you’re about to do something naughty. I love it when I’m working in the study and you poke your head around the corner and say “hi” until you get my attention. After you pull away coyly, only to pop back up with another “hi” and blow me a kiss. See? Melting, I am.

Of course you know that I eat all of this up as if it were made of bacon. You’re smart enough to understand that you’ve got me hooked and I am at your beck and call. But that’s okay. You keep charming me and I’ll keep lavishing attention on you. It’s what daddy/daughter relationships are all about.